A few days ago, for reasons I'm still unclear on, Con Ed shut off the power in our apartment. This initially distressed my roommates and me, particularly because we had just moved into our apartment two weeks prior and had scarcely had an opportunity
not to pay our bills.
So Con Ed turned off our power and we had to use candlelight that evening. This could have irked us immensely, but instead it was kind of...fun!
We bought strawberry-scented candles and found ourselves very calm that night. Showering by candlelight, I almost felt like I was in a spa! I let the hot water and flickering shadows lull me into a deep relaxation. Meditating by candlelight was particularly powerful and calming, and when bedtime rolled around I felt very pleasantly sleepy, probably because my body, in the absence of artificial light, had been producing melatonin since sunset.
My experience that night lead me to believe that one of the things humans crave most is novelty, even when novelty comes in the form of the absence of something--in this case, the absence of light.
The power is back on and I'm definitely not complaining. But it's nice to know that a refuge of calm is always a flick of the switch away.
Something I've taken to do doing--and would recommend to anyone--is listening to the eloquent, simple, and profound Dharma talks posted online by the Zen Community of Oregon. My favorite ones are those given by Chozen Bays, whose training as a physician adds depth and intellectual credence to a subject that some might dismiss as illusory. I don't mean to say that she proves Zen with science--rather, that her robust background in both science and Zen Buddhism makes for very compelling listening. Her mellifluous voice is also a pleasure to listen to, making it easier to absorb the wisdom of her talks. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a wiser person to whom to turn for advice on the ultimate spiritual question of how to live.
